


Ingrained

by dragon_hoard



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Dreams, Guns, How Do I Tag, My First Fanfic, Nightmares, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-30
Updated: 2015-12-16
Packaged: 2018-05-04 04:36:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5320718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragon_hoard/pseuds/dragon_hoard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>ss Aria has a nightmare about the beginning of the end. rly short drabble not even a fic really</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Left Behind

**Author's Note:**

> THIS IS MY FIRST FANFIC OK pls be gentle. anyways I just couldn't get this scene out of my head and ended up writing this out at 6am. There may be more chapters??

It was so cold. A light frost coated everything, Aria included, and the dry, cool air ripped down her throat in desperate gasps. Her recently thawed legs gave out from below, but she didn’t fall far as her knees banged the metal cryo pod lid, sending shocks up her thighs and clearing her vision. White breaths puffed out in front of Aria’s face as she attempted to focus on what exactly was happening. The war had started, they had gone into the Vault, told to get into the pods for transportation, and then what? There was nothing after that. 

Muffled, urgent voices pulled Aria’s attention outward, and she used the sleeve of her vault suit to wipe the frost from the lid’s window. There was a pair of people standing in front of her, the man dressed in tough but well-used leathers and the woman in some sort of lab coat. And then she caught sight of the large gun gripped by the man. Her brows furrowing together, Aria braced both her hands on either side of the window to lean forward and get a better look. Before she could process what she was seeing, the woman pressed on the panel beside her husband’s cryo pod and within seconds the door was lifted, her husband dazed and looking at the pair in confusion.

With relief at the safety of Nate and Shaun, Aria began tapping at the glass window in the hopes of attracting the pair’s attention. The woman in the lab coat reached for Shaun and soon enough they were struggling over the baby. Aria’s tapping quickly turned into heavy banging. She tried to scream but the dry air only provided for a dry throat and all that came out was a strangled cough. She couldn’t move, couldn’t provide enough leverage to force the pod open in the small space. All she could do was slam at the window, her wedding ring clacking and scraping.

A gunshot resounded and Aria thought her heart stopped in despair. The woman wrenched Shaun from Nate’s hands and began to briskly walk away while the man said something about replacements, turning to meet Aria’s wide eyes. The temperature started to drop but Aria ignored it. She needed to get out, needed to save her husband, needed to rescue Shaun. Her limbs started to grow sluggish from the cold. She couldn’t move, couldn’t move, but she needed to save Shaun. She needed to -

“Aria!” Someone shook her shoulder violently, and her eyes snapped open to find the source of the voice.

There were yellow eyes looking back, the backlit yellow eyes of Institute synths and without comprehension Aria’s left hand shot out to grab their shirtfront while her right was shoved under her pillow to grab for her protection. A left leg was slung around the waist of her assailant and a right was used as leverage to bodily roll them over her, effectively tossing them from one side of the bed to the floor on the other. Metal fingers encircled her left wrist. And as she aimed her gun at the synth below her she saw a blurry white hand moving at high speed.

She pulled the trigger.

A gunshot resounded.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Worried friends and Aria is a liar, liar, liar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So somehow I ended up writing another chapter?? Who knows. Pls let me know if anything is too ooc PLS I MEAN IT

Nick Valentine grimaced at the sound. A charred hole was lightly smoking half an inch from his head, and not for the first time he was thankful for his high robotic speed. Nothing quite like artificially enhanced instincts.

He looked up at Aria's face, checking for signs of cognization. He could feel her pulse through his fingers, the vein fluttering strong and fast despite her even breathing. She stared back blankly. The acknowledgement of what she had almost done showed through the horror in her eyes, but only that.

If Nick had a heart it would have been racing. She nearly shot him in the head. But he could understand that, the instinctual self preservation, from Old Nick's memories. Sometimes there wasn't time to process.

Aria relaxed, loosing her grip on the gun and letting Nick gently pry it from her hand. He watched as she climbed off of his chest and sat on her bed. Her breathing was forcefully even and deep. Steady. She was slowing her heart rate.

Nick raised himself from the floor and, still sitting, turned to lean his back against the wall. He was considering what to say when Piper ran around the corner and burst into the room.

"What the hell was that?!" she yelled. Curie and Preston weren't far behind, both shooting startled glances to Nick when they saw how pale Aria was. Nick quietly slid the gun out of view and into his coat. 

"She had a nightmare and tossed me when I woke her up, that's all," Nick said, "One of my guns happened to go off but no harm done." His shoe scuffed the ash mark on the floor. Any close inspection would tell that it was a laser pistol that shot, not his regular ammo.

He glanced at Aria but she wouldn't meet his eyes and her stare could have bore a hole through the wall.

Aria's knee-jerk reactions were dangerous; he knew that. But so did she. She already has enough on her plate, and he didn't want to add her friends tiptoeing around her to that. 

She closed her eyes briefly, grateful.

"I'm fine," she said, turning to look at the other three. "Sorry for waking you up. Could you tell the others that everything is okay please." Curie stepped forward and sat next to Aria, placing a gentle hand on her back.

"My dear, it is no problem. But are you sure you are alright? You have such bags under your eyes and if you are having trouble sleeping I can make something to aid you." Aria gave a tired smile. Curie began rubbing her back in slow, soothing circles.

"Thank you for the offer, but it would be better to devote your time to something else." Curie opened her mouth to object but Aria interrupted before she could get anything out."I'm fine. Really! I can just sleep with Dogmeat, he's been wanting to cuddle for a long time now."

Curie squinted her eyes and frowned in dissatisfaction, but relented.

"I will send him to you, then. But come see me in the morning; I wish to check your health." With one last rub, Curie pulled away and left. Preston gave Aria a worried look before he nodded and followed after her. Piper remained in the doorway, shifting from foot to foot.

"Hey... Blue?" she said hesitantly. Aria met her eyes. "You know you can always come to me if you have troubles right?" Aria smiled, genuinely this time.

"I know. Thanks Piper." Piper huffed a little at that, hiding her embarrassment. 

"Yeah, well, see you in the morning." 

"Sleep well Piper." She paused in turning to leave, piercing Aria with a somewhat knowing and sympathetic look.

"You too Blue."

Piper passed Dogmeat on the way out, stopping to pat his head and ruffle his ears. She was worried. Aria looked like a sleepless train wreck from the start but lately it's gotten so much worse. Piper could only hope nothing happened before she learned how to cope with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god I wrote this on my phone at midnight. This probably needs serious grammatical corrections and I will do that as soon as possible. Idk how many chapters tbh or even if there will be any more. Any feedback would be appreciated as I'm new and looking for guidance


End file.
